Lens for Nikon HELP!!!!!

[Nicole_Barron]

November 25, 2012 at 9:51 pm

Hi guys

This is my first post so hopefully I have it in the right place! :D

I’m only starting off in photography and I’m looking to get a new lens, I have a Nikon d3100 with 18m – 55m but I want to move up to a telephoto lens.

I went into two camera shops today and told me totally different things. One recommend that the sigma 70-300mm apo os would be perfect and the other said no because it doesn’t have (I think) a stabiliser in it the the Nikon 55-300mm would be a much better one to go with!!!!

So please help and give me your thoughts :?

[shutterbug]

November 25, 2012 at 10:25 pm

Hi Nicole, welcome to the site. I suppose the first question is what you hope
to achieve with another lens, ie what do you like to take photographs of? I would
imagine most of us have owned a 70-300 lens and for the money it is a great lens.
It wouldnt be considered a fast lens at f4 being its widest aperture, but again depending
on what you hope to achieve with it, you cant go far wrong, you should be able to pick
one up second hand for around 100.00 euro or so and isnt much more new.

I dont know enough about the 55-300 to comment on it, but it is about the same at
f4.5 at the widest, yes it has VR and that might help a little if the light wasnt particularly
good, but then the 70-300 is not a heavy lens and could be used handheld even at 300mm
without a problem, just remember to keep the shutter speed over 1/300th sec to get
sharp images, or else use a tripod.

Plenty of reviews on line for both lenses so have a read of them, and try them both out in
a camera shop before deciding. Good luck and look forward to hearing what you decide.

[Nicole_Barron]

November 25, 2012 at 10:53 pm

Hi Jenny

Thanks a mill for the quick reply.. I would be using it for sports,wildlife and on family really but just worried that the sigma 70-300mm wouldn’t give a good picture because the second shop said its not really compatible with the Nikon d3100???

[shutterbug]

November 26, 2012 at 8:58 am

That maybe because there is no internal
Motor on the 3100? Will then only work
On manual focus. Maybe someone on here
Who has the 3100 can help here?

[TwinFlash]

November 27, 2012 at 2:06 am

If you want to buy 70-300 lens for your camera you have to look for nikon 70-300 AF-S !! it will work with d3100 or from Sigma 70-300 with HSM , also have a look on nikon 18-300

[markst33]

January 25, 2013 at 2:21 pm

I would always recommend someone who is taking up photography and looking for their first lens to start off with a 50mm prime lens. The nikon 1.8 50mm is a brilliant yet relatively inexpensive lens and by starting off with a prime lens (the name given to non zoom lens) you will learn a lot more about composition and Dept of Field.

It will also help you decide what your next lens should be as you will start to become interested in a particular type of photography so you may start to want a wider angle cos you are doing a lot of landscapes or maybe you start to get into sport or nature and decide you need a longer focal length.

Anyway remember its not the equipment that makes you a better photographer.

Enjoy…

Mark S.